Attaching device for key chains and the like



July 30, 1940.

J. T. RAWLINGS 2209,475 ATTACHING DEVICE FOR KEY CHAINS AND THE LIKEFiled Jan. 31, 1940 Patented July 30, 1940 PATENT OFFICE ATTAGHINGDEVICE FOR THE LIKE CHAINS AND 7 James T. Rawlings, Rochester, N. Y.,assignor to Hickok Manufacturing Company, Inc., Rochester,-N. Y., acorporation of New York Application January 31, 1940, SerialjNo. 316,6561 Claim. (oi. 24-237) This invention relates to attaching devices forkey chains or the like.

An object of the invention is to provide an inexpensive, durable andattractive attaching device for securing key chain and similar devicesto wearing apparel and in which in one embodiment of the invention hasfor its object an attaching device designed for ready loose detachableembracing connection with the belt loop of 10 trousers.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of a springactuated attaching member including a normally closed loop having anopening portion disposed out. of line with the longi- 15 tudinal axis ofthe device so that in the event of a strong accidental pull on thedevice the loop is not subject to accidental opening and consequentaccidental detachment.

A still further object is to provide a device 20 of the nature statedwhich is formed of a single piece of wire, round or square in crosssection, and which includes an attaching loop in one portion of whichloop the opposite ends of the wire meet in abutting or overlappingrelation 25 and are maintained normally in such position.

With these and other objects in view, the inventionconsists in theconstruction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafterfully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing and pointed outin the claim hereto appended, it being understood that various changesin the form, proportion and details of construction, within the scope ofthe claim, may be resorted to without departing from the spirit 35 orsacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the invention illustrating the same inuse in connection with key chain holding devices.

Figure 2 is an enlarged front elevation of the attaching device, thedotted lines showing the loop of the attaching device in open position.

Figure 3 is a side elevation.

45 Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional view.

Figure 5 is a front elevation of a modified form of the attachingdevice.

Figure 6 is a front elevation of another embodiment of the invention.

50 Referring now to the accompanying drawing and more particularly atfirst to Figures 1 to 4, inclusive, the attaching device is illustratedas composed of a single piece of wire I, round in cross section, andincluding a coil member 2 at 55 its inner end, 'from the opposite sidesof which caused to close automatically to maintain the coil member 2extend similar reversely' formed and arrangedcompressible spring sidearms A and B, which cross each other in slightly spaced relationapproximately midway between their ends and curved slightlylongitudinally, forming .5 convergingqportions 3 and 4 and divergingvportions 5 and 6. 1

The arms A and B are again crossed and extended in side byside orparallel relation as at l. to form an inner continuous double portion ofa substantially elliptical shaped loop C having its outer side portionformed in sections 8 and 9. These sections 8 and 9 are formed by reasonof the ends of the single piece of wire meeting in abutting relation atsaid outer side portion of the loopC. j These abutting ends form a slitlllto provide an opening into the loop. This slit I0 is disposed offcenter or ofiset with relation to the longitudinal axis of the deviceand disposed pracz-- tically adjacent one end of the loop C for apurpose presently explained.

The abutting ends of the portions 8 and 9 of the loop C are maintainednormally in abutting flat end to end relation by reason of theresiliency or spring action of the spring arms A and B incident to theaction thereon of the coil member 2. By thumb and finger or othercompression on the diverging portions 5 and 6 of the spring arms A andB, the aforesaid crossed portions 1 of the loop C slide relative to eachother and efiect a separation of the abutting ends of the said loopsections 8 and 9 to provide an opening or passage H to permit free andready entry of the common belt loop or strap of the trousers as shown inFig. 1 into the loop C, whereby to attach the device to the trousersagainst accidental disconnection therefrom. As soon as the compressionof the spring arms A and B is released, owing to the springy nature ofthe arms, or by virtue of the coil member 2, the loop is loop C on thebelt loop or strap of the trousers. It will be seen in dotted lines inFigure 2 that when the device is pressed between the thumb and fingerthat the gap or opening H is at one side of the loop rather than in thecenter thereof. One reason for this is that when the loop C is closedwith the slit ll] offset with relation to the longitudinal axis of theattaching device, it produces a safer type of holding of the device 50on the belt loop or strap and does not open accidentally in the event ofa strong pull exerted on the chain l2 carried at one end in a split ringI3 secured in the coil or member 2 of the device.

The chain l2 constitutes in one embodiment '5 of the invention what isknown as a key chain, to the outer end of which is secured any suitabletype of key holder l4 and while the key chain holding device isillustrated it will be understood that this is done particularly to showone appli cation of the invention. The attaching device is capable ofvarious uses other than in association with key ring chains.

Instead of the ends of the wire forming the abutting sections at theouter side of the loop 0 being flat or at right angle with the wire toform a flat abutment of the ends of the wire, the ends of the wire maybe tapered, as shown at 5 in Figure 5, to form or provide for anoverlapping of the meeting or abutting ends of the wire, the attachingdevice being otherwise the same as heretofore described.

If desired, the abutting end sections of the outer side of theencircling or embracing loop C may have one of its sections 8'9',corresponding to the sections 8-9 in the form first described, providedwith a substantially V-shaped recess Hi to receive the transverselytapered end I! of the other abutting section, as shown in Figure 6.These two modifications shown and described give added securityadvantages against action of a strong pull on the chain and it will beunderstood that other equivalent modifications may be resorted to toprovide for slight overlapping and security advantages. As a matter offact, the meeting ends of the wire may be arranged to overlap each otherwithout the use of cuts or bevels.

In all forms of the invention illustrated and described it is to benoted that the terminals of the cooperating sections at the outer sideof the loop are not intended to grip or pierce materials to hold thematerials or for the purpose of holding the attaching device tomaterials, but that rather the invention embodies a normally closedspring controlled loop capable of being operated to provide entranceinto and out of the loop and wherebya ready and efiective connection ofthe attaching device may be efiected particularly with the loop usuallyprovided at the upper edge of trousers for the support of belts.

What is claimed is:

A device of the character described comprising a single unitary piece ofspring material in the form of a wire including a coil portion, theterminal ends of which project outwardly from the coil in substantiallythe same longitudinal direction and turn inwardly, crossing each otherat an acute angle and providing compressible side members, the outerends of said side members being turned inwardly and crossing each otherin coextensive engagement throughout a predetermined length, theopposite or outer ends of said inturned coextensive portions beingoutwardly bowed and, in conjunction with the coextensive portions,providing a loop of substantial elliptical form with its major axisextending transversely and presenting abutting ends at one side of theminor axis of said loop and in the outer curved side thereof, said loopbeing adapted to receive therein a key chain retaining ring or the likeand the curved outer side of the loop serving to guide the ring by acamming action out of the region of the abutting ends when an outwardpull is exerted on JAMES T. RAWLINGS.

the device by the ring. 3

